Solid-state imaging apparatus and manufacturing method thereof

ABSTRACT

A structure member is used wherein a circuit board is connected to a solid-state image pickup element and placed between a portion of the structure member to which the solid-state image pickup element is attached, and another portion to which a light-transmitting member is attached, and the circuit board is sealed integrally into the structure member. The solid-state image pickup element is attached to a through-opening portion  1 C, and a light-transmitting member is attached so as to cover the through-opening portion  1 C with being separated from the solid-state image pickup element by a predetermined distance. In a process of molding the structure member, the circuit board is integrally molded, whereby the manpower can be reduced, and the structures of the attaching portions can be simplified to miniaturize the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus and amanufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a small-sizedsolid-state imaging apparatus including a solid-state image pickupelement, such as a surveillance camera, a medical camera, or a vehiclecamera, and a manufacturing method thereof.

An imaging apparatus of this kind receives an image through an opticalsystem such as a lens, and outputs the image in the form of an electricsignal. Recently, in accordance with miniaturization and enhancement ofthe performance of such an imaging apparatus, also the size of a camerais reduced, and an imaging apparatus is used in various fields andexpands its market as an image inputting device.

In a conventional imaging apparatus using a solid-state image pickupelement, each of components such as a lens, the solid-state image pickupelement, and an LSI on which a driving circuit for the element and asignal processing circuit are mounted, has a shape of a case or astructure member, and the components are combined with each other.Conventionally, a mounting structure based on such a combination isformed by mounting elements onto a flat printed circuit board.

In order to further miniaturize such a device, a three-dimensionalprinted circuit board 201 shown in FIG. 11 was proposed in JapanesePatent Publication No. 2001-245186. The printed circuit board 201 ismade of a resin in which a mounting member is configured by a legportion 201A having a rectangular table-like shape, and a body portion201B formed on the leg portion, and a through-opening portion 201C isformed in the interface between the leg portion 201A and the bodyportion 201B. A printed wiring pattern 205 is formed on thethree-dimensional printed circuit board on side of the rear face of theleg portion 201A. A lens is fitted into the inner periphery of the bodyportion 201B. While being centered at the optical axis 217 of the lens,an optical filter 203 is placed above the through-opening portion 201C,and a solid-state image pickup element 204 and chip components 208 areplaced below the through-opening portion. As shown in a section view ofFIG. 12, the printed circuit board is connected by using solder 214through the printed wiring pattern 205 formed on the leg portion 201A,to a main board 213 of an apparatus such as a portable telephone or apersonal computer. On the main board 213, formed are a large number ofcomponents 219 including chip components such as a signal processingcircuit (DSP) which processes an output signal of the solid stateimaging element, resistors, and capacitors. Connections among thecomponents are established by connecting the main board 213 to aflexible circuit board (FPC) 120 through a ball grid array (BGA) 221.FIG. 13 is a view showing main portions of the connections. Thesolid-state image pickup element 204 is connected to the printed wiringpattern 205 formed on the leg portion 201A, through bumps 206 formed onthe surface of the image pickup element 204, and then sealed by asealing resin 207 to accomplish the connections with thethree-dimensional printed circuit board 201.

The identical portions are denoted by the identical reference numerals.

As apparent also from the figures, many components must be mounted andthen connected to each other. Therefore, a conventional apparatus hasproblems in that many connections must be formed during a process ofmounting components and hence the size of the apparatus is made large,and that the mounting process requires a prolonged time period.

In the mounting process, as shown in FIGS. 14A to 14C, a method isemployed in which, after the three-dimensional printed circuit board 201is molded (FIG. 14A), the solid-state image pickup element 204 isattached to the board (FIG. 14B), and the optical filter 203 is thenattached (FIG. 14C).

In a heating step in the process of mounting the solid-state imagepickup element 204 onto the three-dimensional printed circuit board 201,the three-dimensional printed circuit board 201 is largely deformed, anda very high stress is generated in connecting portions between thesolid-state image pickup element 204 and the three-dimensional printedcircuit board 201, so that a connection failure due to cracking oftenoccurs.

Usually, such a three-dimensional printed circuit board is obtained byinjection molding. However, there is a problem in that fillers, whichare often used in order to reduce the coefficient of expansion of aresin material, cannot be added in an amount larger than a given onefrom the viewpoints of the molding accuracy and the durability ofmolding dies.

A thermoplastic resin usually used in injection molding has astraight-chain molecular structure, and hence exhibits anisotropicproperties that the coefficient of linear expansion is small in themolecular bonding direction and large in a direction perpendicular tothe bonding direction. In such a resin, fillers are oriented in themolding flow direction to exhibit further anisotropic properties thatthe coefficient is large in a direction perpendicular to the moldingflow direction.

As described above, a conventional solid-state imaging apparatus isconfigured by externally attaching various function components such as asignal processing circuit, and hence has problems in that the mountingprocess requires a prolonged time period, and that the size of thedevice is large. Moreover, a connection failure occurs in connectingportions between a solid-state image pickup element and components of aprocessing circuit, and this causes the reliability to be lowered.

In a heating step in the process of mounting a solid-state image pickupelement onto a three-dimensional printed circuit board, thethree-dimensional printed circuit board is largely deformed, and a veryhigh stress is generated in connecting portions between the solid-stateimage pickup element and the three-dimensional printed circuit board, sothat a connection failure due to cracking often occurs.

Usually, such connecting portions between a solid-state image pickupelement and a three-dimensional printed circuit board are configured bypads disposed on the solid-state image pickup element, and terminals ofthe three-dimensional printed circuit board. The connection between themis realized by connection using an electrically conductive adhesiveagent such as silver paste, ultrasonic bonding, thermocompressionbonding, or the like.

In any of the methods, the adhesion of the solid-state image pickupelement is easily broken because of thermal deformation of thethree-dimensional printed circuit board, and this causes the productionyield to be lowered.

When a printed circuit board is three-dimensionally structured,miniaturization is enabled, but thermal distortion is larger than thatin the case of a usual two-dimensional structure, thereby causing alarge problem in that deformation due to the difference in coefficientof expansion blocks improvement of the yield.

It has been desired to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus which canbe easily connected to an external processing circuit, and which can befurther miniaturized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has been conducted in view of the circumstances. It is anobject of the invention to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus inwhich a peripheral connection circuit is not required and themanufacturing process can be simplified, and which is small in size andhighly reliable.

It is another object of the invention to suppress thermal deformation ofa structure member such as a three-dimensional printed circuit board toensure connection of a solid-state imaging apparatus and improve thebonding quality of the solid-state imaging apparatus.

According to the invention, a structure member into which a circuitboard is integrally sealed is used, the circuit board being connected toa solid-state image pickup element and placed between a portion of astructure member to which the solid-state image pickup element isattached, and another portion to which a light-transmitting member isattached, the solid-state image pickup element is attached to athrough-opening portion, and a light-transmitting member is attached soas to cover the through-opening portion with being separated from thesolid-state image pickup element by a predetermined distance. In aprocess of molding the structure member, the circuit board is integrallymolded, whereby the manpower can be reduced, and the structures of theattaching portions can be simplified, so that miniaturization of thedevice is realized.

According to the invention, a solid-state imaging apparatus comprises: astructure member which is configured by an insulating resin, and whichhas a through-opening portion; a solid-state image pickup element whichis attached to the structure member to cover the through-openingportion; a light-transmitting member which is attached to the structuremember to cover the through-opening portion with being separated fromthe solid-state image pickup element by a predetermined distance; and acircuit board which is connected to the solid-state image pickupelement, and which is sealed integrally into the structure member to beplaced between a portion of the structure member to which thesolid-state image pickup element is attached, and another portion of thestructure member to which the light-transmitting member is attached.

According to the configuration, the circuit board in which less thermaldeformation is produced is sealed (into a peripheral portion) by usingthe thickness of an optical space between the portion to which thesolid-state image pickup element is attached, and that to which thelight-transmitting member is attached. Therefore, the number of externalcomponents can be largely reduced, and the device can be miniaturized.Since the circuit board is molded integrally with the structure member,thermal deformation of the structure member which occurs during aprocess of attaching the solid-state image pickup element can be greatlyreduced, so that connection failures are largely decreased.

Preferably, the circuit board is a multilayer wiring board having aconductor pattern a part of which is exposed from the portion to whichthe solid-state image pickup element is attached, and the solid-stateimage pickup element is directly connected face-down to the conductorpattern of the circuit board.

According to the configuration, the number of external connections isdecreased, and the device can be miniaturized and thinned by means offace-down connection.

Preferably, the circuit board includes a signal processing circuit whichprocesses an output signal of the solid-state image pickup element.

According to the configuration, since the circuit board includes asignal processing circuit, it is not required to externally dispose thecircuit, and hence miniaturization can be achieved. Moreover, the signalprocessing circuit is formed in close proximity to the solid-state imagepickup element, so that the processing time can be shortened and thenoise level can be lowered.

Preferably, the signal processing circuit is a chip component which isconnected to a first face of the circuit board, the first face being ona side where the light-transmitting member is attached.

According to the configuration, since the signal processing circuit ismounted as a chip component on the multilayer wiring board,miniaturization can be achieved. Moreover, the signal processing circuitis formed in close proximity to the solid-state image pickup element, sothat the processing time can be shortened and the noise level can belowered.

Preferably, the circuit board is configured by an annular memberincluding a part of a region corresponding to the through-openingportion, and comprising a through-hole to have a portion which protrudesinto the through-opening portion and to which the light-transmittingmember is attached, and the light-transmitting member is fixed to theportion of the circuit board to which the light-transmitting member isattached.

According to the configuration, since the light-transmitting member isattached onto the circuit board in which less thermal deformation isproduced, thermal deformation can be further suppressed.

Preferably, the circuit board is configured by a multilayer wiringboard, a conductor pattern is exposed also on a side of a face on whichthe solid-state image pickup element is mounted, and the solid-stateimage pickup element is directly connected to the conductor pattern.

According to the configuration, in the device, the connection isfacilitated, and thinning and miniaturization can be further attained.

Preferably, the structure member has a leg portion, and a cylindricalbody portion which is disposed on the leg portion, and thethrough-opening portion is placed between the body portion and the legportion.

When this configuration is applied to a conventional device, the wholestructure may be miniaturized, but there arises a problem in that aconnection failure due to deformation of a connecting portion is easilycaused by thermal deformation. By contrast, according to the invention,the solid-state image pickup element can be attached after the circuitboard which is smaller in coefficient of thermal expansion than theinsulating resin, and in which less thermal deformation is produced isattached by integral molding. Therefore, thermal deformation of thestructure member made of the insulating resin can be suppressed, and thecertainty of the connection of the solid-state image pickup element canbe enhanced.

Preferably, the multilayer wiring board is electrically connected to aconductor pattern formed in a part of a surface of the leg portion.

According to the configuration, the device can be easily connected to anexternal device, and can be further miniaturized.

Preferably, the multilayer wiring board is configured by a materialwhich is smaller in coefficient of thermal expansion than the insulatingresin.

According to the configuration, since the multilayer wiring board has acoefficient of thermal expansion which is smaller than that of theinsulating resin configuring the structure member, deformation which isproduced by heat during a process of mounting the solid-state imagepickup element can be reduced, so that the reliability can be improved.

Preferably, the light-transmitting member is configured by forming adielectric thin film of a multilayer structure on a surface of quartzglass.

According to the configuration, since the coefficient of thermalexpansion of quartz glass is smaller by one order than that of the resinconfiguring the structure member, deformation which is produced by heatduring a process of mounting the solid-state image pickup element can bereduced, so that the reliability can be improved.

Preferably, the light-transmitting member is made of a thermosettingresin.

According to the configuration, since a thermosetting resin is used asthe light-transmitting member, deformation which is produced by heatduring a process of mounting the solid-state image pickup element can bereduced, so that the reliability can be improved.

Preferably, the light-transmitting member is an optical filter.

The position where the optical filter is attached determines thedistance between the solid-state image pickup element and a lens whichis attached in an outer position, and hence the attachment position isan important factor. According to the configuration, since thelight-transmitting member is fixed by integral molding and configured bya member of a small coefficient of thermal expansion, deformation of thestructure member is suppressed in the vicinity of the light-transmittingmember. Therefore, thermal deformation of the structure member in thevicinity of the solid-state image pickup element can be suppressed, sothat the certainty of the distance between the solid-state image pickupelement and the optical filter is enhanced to enabling more excellentimage capturing.

Preferably, the circuit board is configured by a multilayer wiringportion which is formed in an annular shape on a surface of alight-transmitting substrate, and a region which is positioned in acenter area of the light-transmitting substrate, and which is exposedfrom the multilayer wiring portion constitutes the optical filter.

According to the configuration, the center area of thelight-transmitting substrate constitutes the optical filter, themultilayer wiring portion is formed in the outer peripheral area of thesubstrate, and the circuit board and the optical filter are configuredby the same substrate. Therefore, the number of components is furtherreduced, and miniaturization and thinning are enabled. Moreover, thenumber of mounting steps is further reduced, and the workability of amounting process is improved.

Furthermore, according to the invention, a structure member which isformed by integrally sealing a circuit portion together with a fixingmember is used, the circuit portion being connected to a solid-stateimage pickup element and formed on a flexible substrate so as to beplaced between a portion of the structure member to which thesolid-state image pickup element is attached, and another portion towhich a light-transmitting member is attached, the solid-state imagepickup element is attached to a through-opening portion, and alight-transmitting member is attached so as to cover the through-openingportion with being separated from the solid-state image pickup elementby a predetermined distance. In a process of molding the structuremember, the circuit portion formed on the flexible substrate isintegrally molded together with the fixing member, whereby the manpowercan be reduced, and the structures of the attaching portions can besimplified, so that miniaturization of the device is realized and thedevice is easily connected to an external device.

According to the invention, a solid-state imaging apparatus wherein thedevice comprises: a structure member which is configured by aninsulating resin, and which has a through-opening portion; a solid-stateimage pickup element which is attached to the through-opening portion;and a light-transmitting member which is placed to cover thethrough-opening portion with being separated from the solid-state imagepickup element by a predetermined distance, and a fixing member which issmaller in coefficient of thermal expansion than the insulating resin, aflexible substrate which is bonded to the fixing member, and a circuitportion which is formed on a surface of the flexible substrate, and onwhich desired function elements are mounted are integrally sealed intothe structure member to be placed between a portion of the structuremember to which the solid-state image pickup element is attached, andanother portion of the structure member to which the light-transmittingmember is attached.

According to the configuration, the circuit portion that is formed onthe flexible substrate bonded to the fixing member in which less thermaldeformation is produced is sealed (into a peripheral portion) by usingthe thickness of an optical space between the portion to which thesolid-state image pickup element is attached, and that to which thelight-transmitting member is attached. Therefore, the number of externalcomponents can be largely reduced, and the device can be miniaturized.Since the fixing member including the circuit portion is moldedintegrally with the structure member, thermal deformation of thestructure member which occurs during a process of attaching thesolid-state image pickup element can be greatly reduced, so thatconnection failures are largely decreased.

Preferably, the circuit portion has a multilayer wiring structure havinga conductor pattern a part of which is exposed from the portion of thestructure member to which the solid-state image pickup element isattached, and the solid-state image pickup element is directly connectedface-down to the conductor pattern of the circuit portion.

According to the configuration, the number of external connections isdecreased, and the device can be miniaturized and thinned by means offace-down connection.

Preferably, the circuit portion includes a signal processing circuitwhich processes an output signal of the solid-state image pickupelement.

According to the configuration, since the circuit portion includes asignal processing circuit, it is not required to externally dispose thecircuit, and hence miniaturization can be achieved. Moreover, the signalprocessing circuit is formed in close proximity to the solid-state imagepickup element, so that the processing time can be shortened and thenoise level can be lowered.

Preferably, the fixing member is an annular ceramic substrate having anopening in a region corresponding to the through-opening portion, andthe signal processing circuit is a chip component which is connected tothe circuit portion.

According to the configuration, since the ceramic substrate functions asthe fixing member and the signal processing circuit is mounted as a chipcomponent on the circuit portion, miniaturization can be achieved.Moreover, the signal processing circuit is formed in close proximity tothe solid-state image pickup element, so that the processing time can beshortened and the noise level can be lowered.

Preferably, the chip component constituting the signal processingcircuit is connected to a first face of the circuit portion, the firstface being on a side where the light-transmitting member is attached,and connected to the circuit portion through through-holes formed in theceramic substrate.

According to the configuration, connection of high reliability can beeasily obtained, and the signal processing circuit can be formed inclose proximity to the solid-state image pickup element, so that theprocessing time can be shortened and the noise level can be lowered.

Preferably, the circuit portion is configured by a multilayer wiringstructure member, a conductor pattern is exposed also on a side of aface on which the solid-state image pickup element is mounted, and thesolid-state image pickup element is directly connected to the conductorpattern.

According to the configuration, in the device, the connection isfacilitated, and thinning and miniaturization can be further attained.

Preferably, the structure member has a leg portion on which a wiringportion is to be formed, and a cylindrical body portion which isdisposed on the leg portion, and the through-opening portion is formedbetween the body portion and the leg portion.

When this configuration is applied to a conventional device, the wholestructure may be miniaturized, but there arises a problem in that aconnection failure due to deformation of a connecting portion is easilycaused by thermal deformation. By contrast, according to the invention,the solid-state image pickup element can be attached after the circuitportion which is smaller in coefficient of thermal expansion than theinsulating resin, and in which less thermal deformation is produced isattached by integral molding. Therefore, thermal deformation of thestructure member made of the insulating resin can be suppressed, and thecertainty of the connection of the solid-state image pickup element canbe enhanced.

Preferably, the multilayer wiring structure member is electricallyconnected to a conductor pattern formed in a part of a surface of theleg portion.

According to the configuration, the device can be easily connected to anexternal device, and can be further miniaturized.

Preferably, the light-transmitting member is an optical filter.

The position where the optical filter is attached determines thedistance between the solid-state image pickup element and a lens whichis attached in an outer position, and hence the attachment position isan important factor. According to the configuration, since thelight-transmitting member is fixed by integral molding and configured bya member of a small coefficient of thermal expansion, deformation of thestructure member is suppressed in the vicinity of the light-transmittingmember. Therefore, thermal deformation of the structure member in thevicinity of the solid-state image pickup element can be suppressed, sothat the certainty of the distance between the solid-state image pickupelement and the optical filter is enhanced to enabling more excellentimage capturing.

Preferably, the flexible substrate has an extended portion having aconductor terminal pattern which elongates toward an outside of thestructure member, and the conductor terminal pattern constitutes powersource and output terminals for the signal processing circuit.

According to the configuration, a film carrier can be elongated outtogether with a wiring pattern to the outside of the structure member,and connected as it is to external components. Therefore, the device canbe mounted as it is to a foldable portable telephone or the like, sothat miniaturization can be attained in a large degree.

According to the method of the invention, the method comprises: a wiringboard forming step of preparing an insulating board having athrough-hole in a center area, and forming wiring layers to form acircuit board; a step of connecting a signal processing circuit chiponto a first surface of the circuit board; a structure member moldingstep of conducting a sealing process by an insulating resin to cover thecircuit portion in which the signal processing circuit is formed, andform a through-opening portion in a region corresponding to thethrough-hole, thereby forming a structure member; a solid-state imagepickup element attaching step of attaching a solid-state image pickupelement onto a second surface of the circuit board to cover thethrough-opening portion of the structure member; and alight-transmitting member attaching step of attaching alight-transmitting member onto the first face of the circuit board.

According to the configuration, since the circuit board of less thermaldeformation is molded integrally with the structure member, thermaldeformation of the structure member which occurs during a process ofattaching the solid-state image pickup element is greatly reduced, sothat connection failures are largely decreased. A step of attaching thelight-transmitting member is not required, and hence the productivitycan be improved. Also a margin which is necessary for such attachment isnot required, and hence the device can be miniaturized.

Preferably, the structure member molding step is an injection moldingstep of forming the structure member made of a thermoplastic insulatingresin by injection molding.

When such a structure member is made of a thermoplastic resin and formedby injection molding, deformation is easily produced particularly duringa hardening process, and deformation is produced also when a device isused in a high temperature environment, thereby causing a problem inthat a connection failure easily occurs in a portion where thesolid-state image pickup element is connected to the structure member(three-dimensional printed circuit board). By contrast, according to theconfiguration, thermal deformation of the structure member made of theinsulating resin is suppressed by the circuit board in which thecoefficient of thermal expansion is smaller than that of the insulatingresin and hence less thermal deformation is produced, so that thecertainty of the connection of the solid-state image pickup element canbe enhanced.

Further, according to the method of the invention, the method comprises:a board forming step of preparing a flexible substrate having apenetrated hole in a center area, forming wiring layers to constitute acircuit portion, and bonding the flexible substrate to a fixing member;a step of forming a signal processing circuit in the circuit portion; astructure member molding step of conducting a sealing process by aninsulating resin to cover the circuit portion in which the signalprocessing circuit is formed, and form a through-opening portion in aregion corresponding to the penetrated hole, thereby forming a structuremember; a solid-state image pickup element attaching step of attaching asolid-state image pickup element to be electrically connected to thecircuit portion and cover the through-opening portion of the structuremember; and a light-transmitting member attaching step of attaching alight-transmitting member onto a first face of the circuit portion.

According to the configuration, since the flexible substrate on whichthe circuit portion is formed is bonded to the fixing member of lessthermal deformation to function also as the signal processing circuitand a support portion, and these members are molded integrally with thestructure member, thermal deformation of the structure member whichoccurs during a process of attaching the solid-state image pickupelement is greatly reduced, so that connection failures are largelydecreased. A step of attaching chip components and the like is notrequired, and hence the productivity can be improved. Also a marginwhich is necessary for such attachment is not required, and hence thedevice can be miniaturized.

Preferably, the structure member molding step is an injection moldingstep of forming the structure member made of a thermoplastic insulatingresin by injection molding.

When such a structure member is made of a thermoplastic resin and formedby injection molding, deformation is easily produced particularly duringa hardening process, and deformation is produced also when a device isused in a high temperature environment, thereby causing a problem inthat a connection failure easily occurs in a portion where thesolid-state image pickup element is connected to the structure member(three-dimensional printed circuit board). By contrast, according to theconfiguration, thermal deformation of the structure member made of theinsulating resin is suppressed by the circuit portion in which thecoefficient of thermal expansion is smaller than that of the insulatingresin and hence less thermal deformation is produced, so that thecertainty of the connection of the solid-state image pickup element canbe enhanced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a section view showing a solid-state imaging apparatus of afirst embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view showing main portions of thesolid-state imaging apparatus of the first embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 3A to 3D are views showing steps of manufacturing the solid-stateimaging apparatus of the first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a section view showing main portions of a solid-state imagingapparatus of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view showing part of steps of manufacturing the solid stateimaging device of the second and fourth embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a section view showing a solid-state imaging apparatus of athird embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a section view showing the solid-state imaging apparatus ofthe third embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 8A to 8D are views showing steps of manufacturing the solid-stateimaging apparatus of the third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a section view showing a solid-state imaging apparatus of afourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing main portions of the solid-state imagingapparatus of the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a conventional solid-state imagingapparatus;

FIG. 12 is a section view showing the conventional solid-state imagingapparatus;

FIG. 13 is a view showing main portions of the conventional solid-stateimaging apparatus; and

FIGS. 14A to 14C are views showing main portions of steps of mountingthe solid-state imaging apparatus of the conventional art example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described in detailwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1)

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views showing main portions of a solid-state imagingapparatus which is a first embodiment of the invention.

In the solid-state imaging apparatus, in a molding process of astructure member 1 on which a solid-state image pickup element is to bemounted, a multilayer wiring board 2 is sealed together with a signalprocessing circuit chip DSP 22 formed on a first face of the multilayerwiring board 2, into the structure member 1 configured by an insulatingpolyphthalamide resin. Incidentally, the multiplayer wiring board servesas a serving circuit board formed a ceramic substrate as a basic member,and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramic substrate isvery smaller than that of a resin constituting the structure member. Thestructure member 1 has a through-opening portion 1C. A plate-like memberconstituting an optical filter 3 is attached to the structure member 1,includes the signal processing circuit chip DSP 22 therein, above thefirst face of the multilayer wiring board 2, so as to face thethrough-opening portion 1C. A solid-state image pickup element 4 isattached in a face-down manner to a second face of the multilayer wiringboard 2. In the embodiment, the optical filter 3 is configured by aquartz refraction plate, and a peripheral portion of the filter is fixedto the structure member 1 by an adhesive agent.

The multiplayer wiring board 2 may be exposed from a surface of thethrough-hole opening portion 1C and/or a region where the optical filteris disposed of the structure member. In this case, the optical filter isfixed on the multiplayer wiring board 2.

The solid-state imaging apparatus includes the structure member 1 and asolid-state image pickup element 4. The structure member 1 is made of aninsulating polyphthalamide resin and includes a leg portion 1A having arectangular table-like shape, a body portion 1B formed on the legportion 1A, a through-opening portion 1C formed in the interface betweenthe leg portion 1A and the body portion 1B. The structure member 1further includes a wiring portion which has the multilayer wiring board2 in the vicinity of a portion where the optical filter 3 is attached,and which includes a terminal pattern 5 in a part of the surface of theleg portion 1A. In the multilayer wiring board 2, an inner edge ispartly projected in a direction of the through-opening portion 1C, andat least one hole is formed. The solid-state image pickup element 4 isconnected to the wiring portion attached to the through-opening portion1C, and electrically connected to the terminal pattern 5 through viaholes 27.

The multilayer wiring board 2 is configured by forming multilayer filmsof copper wiring patterns 21 and polyimide resin films 24 on a firstface (front face) and a second face (rear face) of a ceramic substrate20, respectively. The copper wiring patterns 21 in the layers areconnected to one another through via holes 23 formed in the polyimideresin films 24. Also elements such as thin film capacitors 25 and thinfilm resistors 26 are formed on the multilayer wiring board.

Next, a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging apparatus of thefirst embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3A, first, a copper thin film is formed on the first(front) and second (rear) faces of the ceramic substrate 20, the copperthin film is patterned by the photolithography technique to form awiring pattern 21, a polyimide resin film 24 is then applied, and viaholes 23 are formed. Subsequently, the step of forming a copper thinfilm, and conducting the patterning process by the photolithographytechnique to form the wiring patterns 21 is repeatedly performed to formthe multilayer wiring board 2 having a desired pattern. During thepattern forming step, a resistor thin film is laminated and sandwichedbetween the wiring patterns to form the thin film capacitors, resistorthin films are placed between the wiring patterns to form the thin filmresistors, and as required chip components are connected.

As shown in FIG. 3B, thereafter, the signal processing circuit chip DSP22 is directly connected to bumps 21S formed on the wiring patterns 21on the front face of the substrate.

The thus formed multilayer wiring board 2 is placed in molding dies. Asshown in FIG. 3C, a polyphthalamide resin is injected into a cavityformed in the molding dies, and then cooled and cured, thereby formingthe structure member 1 made of a polyphthalamide resin, configured bythe leg portion 1A having a rectangular table-like shape, and the bodyportion 1B provided on the leg portion, and having the through-openingportion 1C which disposed in the interface between the leg portion 1Aand the body portion 1B.

On the other hand, a dielectric thin film of a multilayer structurehaving a desired refractive index is vapor-deposited onto the surface ofa quartz plate to form the optical filter 3 configured by a dielectricinterference filter.

As shown in FIG. 3C, thereafter, the optical filter 3 is bonded to thefirst face of the multilayer wiring board 2 which is exposed from thestructure member 1 so as to face the through-opening portion 1C.

Then, the wiring portion including the terminal pattern 5 formed on therear face of the leg portion 1A is formed in a predetermined area of thestructure member 1 by a plating process or a thin film process such asthe sputtering technique.

As shown in FIG. 3D, thereafter, the solid-state image pickup element(chip) 4 is mounted onto one face of the through-opening portion of thestructure member 1. Bumps 6 are previously formed on contact terminalsof the solid-state image pickup element 4, and the terminals areconnected by thermocompression bonding to ends of the terminal patternsformed on the leg portion 1A of the structure member 1. Then, a resinsealing process is conducted to cover the surface of the solid-stateimage pickup element 4 by a resin sealing member 7.

Finally, a lens 8 is covered by a shield case 9, and connected to thestructure member 1 by an adhesive resin 10 to form the solid-stateimaging apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the thus formed solid-state imaging apparatus, the multilayer wiringboard on which the chip components such as the DSP are mounted and inwhich the thin film resistors, the thin film capacitors and the like aremounted, is sealed into the structure member made of the insulatingresin. Therefore, the device has a very small size, can be easilyproduced, and is highly reliable.

The structure member 1 made of the insulating resin is supported by themultilayer wiring board sealed in the structure member. During theprocess of mounting the solid-state image pickup element, therefore, themultilayer wiring board which is smaller in coefficient of thermalexpansion than the structure member functions as a fixing member tosuppress thermal deformation of the structure member, with the resultthat the certainty of the connection of the solid-state image pickupelement can be enhanced.

Moreover, mounting of the peripheral circuit components such as thesignal processing circuit is not required. The device is configured as aso-called hybrid IC, and such components are placed by using the opticalspace which is formed between the optical filter and the solid-stateimage pickup element. Therefore, a large size reduction of the devicecan be attained.

The step of mounting such components is not required. Consequently, thenumber of mounting steps can be greatly reduced, and the workability isimproved.

The structure member is obtained by injection molding. A polyphthalamideresin has a straight-chain molecular structure, and hence exhibitsanisotropic properties that the coefficient of thermal expansion issmall in the molecular bonding direction and large in a directionperpendicular to the bonding direction. In the first embodiment,therefore, the annular multilayer wiring board is sealed so as tosurround the through-opening portion. Alternatively, two multilayerwiring boards may be sealed in parallel along the injection direction ofa thermoplastic resin, and in positions which are opposed to each otheracross the through-opening portion. In the alternative also, it ispossible to suppress the elongation in a direction perpendicular to themolecular bonding direction.

In the first embodiment, preferably, a hole communicating with thethrough-opening portion is formed in order to discharge a gas generatedduring the process of attaching the solid-state image pickup element,by, for example, forming a penetrated hole in the vicinity of theportion where the optical filter is embedded.

In the formation of the multilayer wiring board, the via holes may beformed in the substrate or insulating films by forming holes by a laserprocessing and then conducting a sputtering process, a plating process,or the like.

The whole surface of the structure member may be plated in a last step,and the surface plating layer may be connected to a grounding terminalof the multilayer wiring board to form an electromagnetic shield.

(Embodiment 2)

FIG. 4 is a view showing main portions of a solid-state imagingapparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention.

In the first embodiment, the optical filter 3 is attached to themultilayer wiring board. In contrast, according to the secondembodiment, the ceramic substrate constituting the multilayer wiringboard is made of light-transmitting ceramic, and a desired film isformed on the surface as a multi-refraction material 20S which will beused as an optical filter. The multilayer wiring board which is to besealed into the structure member is configured in the following manner.The multi-refraction material 20S is used as an insulating substrate,and a multilayer wiring structure member 2M is formed so as to have anannular shape in a peripheral area excluding the area corresponding tothe through-opening portion 1C. The multilayer wiring structure member2M is placed in molding dies, and then injection molding is conducted toseal a center area of the multilayer wiring structure member 2M by astructure member made of a polyphthalamide resin.

According to the manufacturing process of the embodiment, in the moldingof the structure member 1 on which the solid-state image pickup element4 is to be mounted, a plate-like member in which many multilayer wiringstructure members 2M are integrally formed is formed, and many structuremembers are integrally molded together with the plate-like member, sothat the molded product can be then diced into individual solid-stateimaging apparatuses.

In the embodiment, in order to discharge an internal gas generatedduring the process of mounting the solid-state image pickup element, apenetrated hole communicating with the through-opening portion 1C ispreferably formed in the center area which will be used as an opticalfilter. The other portions are formed in the same manner as those of thefirst embodiment.

In the manufacturing process, the device of the embodiment is formed ina similar manner as the first embodiment. In the embodiment, however,not only the optical filters but also structure members are integrallymolded, and the molded product is finally diced along dicing lines d1,d2, d3, . . . , c1, c2, c3, . . . as shown in FIG. 5, thereby obtainingthe solid-state imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

(Embodiment 3)

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views showing main portions of a solid-state imagingapparatus according to a third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 is asection view taken along the line A—A in FIG. 6.

In the solid-state imaging apparatus, in a molding process of astructure member 101 on which a solid-state image pickup element 104 isto be mounted, a ceramic substrate 102 g and a circuit portion 102 of amultilayer wiring structure formed on a film carrier 120F serving as aflexible substrate are sealed together with a signal processing circuitchip (DSP) 122 formed on a first face of the ceramic substrate 102 g viathrough-holes (not shown) opened in the ceramic substrate 102 g, intothe structure member 101 configured by an insulating polyphthalamideresin. Incidentally, the ceramic substrate 102 g is used as a fixingmember, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramicsubstrate 102 g is very smaller than that of a polyphthalamide resinconstituting the structure member 101. The structure member 101 includesa through-opening portion 101C. A plate-like member constituting anoptical filter 103 is attached to the structure member 101 including thesignal processing circuit chip (DSP) 122 sealed inside thereof on thefirst face of the ceramic substrate 102 g to which the circuit portion102 is fixed, so as to face the through-opening portion 101C. Asolid-state image pickup element 104 is attached in a face-down mannerto a second face of the ceramic substrate. In the embodiment, theoptical filter 103 is configured by a quartz refraction plate, and aperipheral portion of the optical filter 103 is fixed to the structuremember 101 by an adhesive agent.

The circuit portion 102 may be exposed from a surface of thethrough-hole opening portion 1C and/or a region where the optical filteris disposed of the structure member. In this case, the optical filter isfixed on the circuit portion 102.

The solid-state imaging apparatus includes the structure member 101 anda solid-state image pickup element 104. The structure member is made ofan insulating polyphthalamide resin and including a leg portion 101Ahaving a rectangular table-like shape, and a body portion 101B providedon the leg portion, and a through-opening portion 101C provided in theinterface between the leg portion 101A and the body portion 101B. Thestructure member further includes a wiring portion having the circuitportion 102 in the vicinity of a portion where the optical filter 103 isattached, and which includes a terminal pattern 105 in a part of thesurface of the leg portion 101A. The circuit portion 102 is formed onthe flexible substrate, and an inner edge thereof is partly extended ina direction of the through-opening portion 101C, have at least one hole.The solid-state image pickup element 104 is connected to the wiringportion, attached to the through-opening portion 101C, and electricallyconnected to the terminal pattern 105 through via holes.

The circuit portion 102 is configured by bonding a first face (frontface) of the film carrier 120F of a polyimide film having an opening ina center area, to the ceramic substrate 102 g, and forming multilayerfilms of copper wiring patterns 121 and polyimide resin films 124 on asecond face (rear face). The copper wiring patterns in the layers areconnected to one another through via holes 123 formed in the polyimideresin films 124. Also elements such as thin film capacitors 125 and thinfilm resistors 126 are formed on the circuit portion 102.

Next, a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging apparatus willbe described.

As shown in FIG. 8A, first, a copper thin film is formed on the second(rear) face of the film carrier 120F of a polyimide film, the copperthin film is patterned by the photolithography technique to form thewiring pattern 121, the polyimide resin film 124 is then applied, andthe via holes 123 are formed. The step of forming a copper thin film,and conducting the patterning process by the photolithography techniqueto form the wiring patterns 121 is repeatedly performed to form thecircuit portion 102 of the multilayer wiring structure having a desiredpattern. During the pattern forming step, a resistor thin film islaminated and sandwiched between the wiring patterns to form the thinfilm capacitors, resistor thin films are placed between the wiringpatterns to form the thin film resistors, and as required chipcomponents are connected.

As shown in FIG. 8B, thereafter, through-holes are formed so as to beformed in the wiring pattern 121 of the surface of the substrate, theceramic substrate 102 g which has the wiring pattern and bumps 121S onthe surface is bonded, and the signal processing circuit chip (DSP) 122is directly connected to the bumps 121S on the ceramic substrate. Thesignal processing circuit chip 122 is connected from the surface side ofthe ceramic substrate 102 g to the circuit portion through thethrough-holes, and through-holes formed in the film carrier.

The thus formed circuit portion 102 is placed in molding dies, togetherwith the ceramic substrate 102 g serving as the fixing member. As shownin FIG. 8C, a polyphthalamide resin is injected into a cavity formed inthe molding dies, and then cooled and cured, thereby forming thestructure member 101 made of a polyphthalamide resin, configured by theleg portion 101A which has a rectangular table-like shape, and the bodyportion 101B which is provided on the leg portion, and having thethrough-opening portion 101C which is formed in the interface betweenthe leg portion 101A and the body portion 101B.

On the other hand, a dielectric thin film of a multilayer structurehaving a desired refractive index is vapor-deposited onto the surface ofa quartz plate to form the optical filter 103 configured by a dielectricinterference filter.

The optical filter 103 is then bonded to the first face of the circuitportion 102 which is exposed from the structure member 101 so as to facethe through-opening portion 101C.

Then, the wiring portion including the terminal pattern 105 formed onthe rear face of the leg portion 101A is formed in a predetermined areaof the structure member by a plating process or a thin film process suchas the sputtering technique.

As shown in FIG. 8D, thereafter, the solid-state image pickup element(chip) 104 is mounted onto one face of the through-opening portion 1C ofthe structure member 101. Bumps 106 are previously formed on contactterminals of the solid-state image pickup element 104, and the terminalsare connected by thermocompression bonding to ends of the terminalpatterns formed on the leg portion 101A of the structure member. Then, aresin sealing process is conducted to cover the surface of thesolid-state image pickup element 104 by a resin sealing member 7.

Finally, a lens 108 is covered by a shield case 109, and connected tothe structure member 101 by an adhesive resin 110 to form thesolid-state imaging apparatus of the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 6and 7.

In the thus formed solid-state imaging apparatus, the multilayer wiringboard on which the chip components such as the DSP are mounted and alsothe thin film resistors, the thin film capacitors, and the like aremounted is sealed into the structure member made of the insulatingresin. Therefore, the device has a very small size, can be easilymanufactured, and is highly reliable.

The structure member made of the insulating resin is supported by theceramic substrate 2 g sealed in the structure member. During the processof mounting the solid-state image pickup element, therefore, the ceramicsubstrate which is smaller in coefficient of thermal expansion than thestructure member functions as a fixing member to suppress thermaldeformation of the structure member, with the result that the certaintyof the connection of the solid-state image pickup element can beenhanced.

Since the peripheral circuit components such as the signal processingcircuit are formed on the film carrier bonded to the ceramic substrate,the device is configured as a so-called hybrid IC, and such componentsare placed by using the optical space which is formed between theoptical filter and the solid-state image pickup element. Therefore, alarge reduction of the size of the device can be attained.

The step of mounting such components is not required. Consequently, thenumber of mounting steps can be greatly reduced, and the workability isimproved.

The structure member is obtained by injection molding. A polyphthalamideresin has a straight-chain molecular structure, and hence exhibitsanisotropic properties that the coefficient of thermal expansion issmall in the molecular bonding direction and large in a directionperpendicular to the bonding direction. In the third embodiment,therefore, the annular multilayer wiring board is sealed so as tosurround the through-opening portion. Alternatively, two ceramicsubstrates may be formed and bonded to a film carrier in parallel alongthe injection direction of a thermoplastic resin, and in positions whichare opposed to each other across the through-opening portion. In thealternative also, it is possible to suppress the elongation in adirection perpendicular to the molecular bonding direction.

In the third embodiment, preferably, a hole communicating with thethrough-opening portion in order to discharge a gas generated during theprocess of attaching the solid-state image pickup element, by, forexample, forming a penetrated hole in the vicinity of the portion wherethe optical filter is embedded.

In the formation of the ceramic substrate and the circuit portion, thevia holes may be formed in the substrate or insulating films by formingholes by a laser processing and then conducting a sputtering process, aplating process, or the like.

The whole surface of the structure member may be plated in a last step,and the surface plating layer may be connected to a grounding terminalof the multilayer wiring board to form an electromagnetic shield.

(Embodiment 4)

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views showing main portions of a solid-state imagingapparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

In the third embodiment, terminals for external connection are realizedby the terminal pattern formed on the leg portion 101A of the structuremember 101. In contrast, according to the fourth embodiment, the filmcarrier 120F is elongated together with the wiring pattern to theoutside of the structure member, so that it can be connected as it is toexternal components.

According to the configuration, the apparatus can be attached as it isto a foldable portable telephone or the like, so that miniaturizationcan be attained in a large degree.

In the manufacturing process, it is required simply to prolong the filmcarrier. The apparatus of this embodiment can be produced in a similarmanner as the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D.

In the embodiment described above, the optical filter 103 is attached tothe structure member 101. Alternatively, the ceramic substrate 102 gconstituting the fixing member may be made of light-transmittingceramic, and a desired film is formed on the surface as amulti-refraction material 20S used as an optical filter, as described inthe second embodiment of the invention.

In the embodiment, in order to discharge an internal gas generatedduring the process of mounting the solid-state image pickup element, apenetrated hole communicating with the through-opening portion 1C ispreferably formed in the center area which will be used as an opticalfilter. The other portions are formed in the same manner as those of thethird embodiment.

In the manufacturing process, not only the optical filters but alsostructure members may be integrally molded, and the molded product maybe finally diced along dicing lines d1, d2, d3, . . . , c1, c2, c3, . .. as shown in FIG. 5, thereby obtaining the solid-state imagingapparatus shown in FIG. 6.

Although an optical filter is used as the light-transmitting member inthe first to fourth embodiments, the light-transmitting member is notrestricted to an optical filter. A light-transmitting sealing member, alens, or the like may be adequately used as the light-transmittingmember.

As the resin constituting the structure member, a thermosetting resinsuch as an epoxy resin may be used in place of a thermoplastic resinsuch as a polyphthalamide resin or a PPS resin.

The application of the solid-state imaging apparatus of the invention isnot restricted to a camera used in an optical communication field, andthe solid-state imaging apparatus can be applied to various opticaldevices such as a reading device for a CD or a DVD, a reading device fora copier, a medical equipment, and a door phone.

As described above, according to the invention, the fixing member inwhich less thermal deformation is produced is sealed together with thecircuit portion formed on the flexible substrate, into a peripheralportion by using the thickness of an optical space between the portionto which the solid-state image pickup element is attached, and that towhich the light-transmitting member is attached. Therefore, the numberof external components can be largely reduced. As a result, theinvention can provide a solid-state imaging apparatus of a small size.

Since the circuit portion is molded integrally with the structuremember, thermal deformation of the structure member which occurs duringa process of attaching the solid-state image pickup element can begreatly reduced. As a result, the invention can provide a method ofmanufacturing a solid-state imaging apparatus in which connectionfailures are largely decreased.

1. A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: a structure memberconfigured by an insulating resin, and which has a through-openingportion; a solid-state image pickup element attached to said structuremember; a light-transmitting member attached to said structure member tocover the through-opening portion and being separated from saidsolid-state image pickup element by a predetermined distance; and afixing member sealed integrally into said structure member and disposedbetween a portion where said image pickup element is attached and aportion where said light-transmitting member is attached; wherein saidfixing member is a circuit board configured by a multilayer wiringportion, wherein the multilayer wiring portion is formed in an annularshape on a surface of a light-transmitting substrate, and wherein aregion positioned in a center area of said light-transmitting substrateand exposed from said multilayer wiring portion comprises an opticalfilter.
 2. The solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 1,further comprising: a flexible substrate bonded to the fixing member;and a circuit portion formed on a surface of said flexible substrate andincluding desired function elements mounted therein, wherein saidflexible substrate and said circuit portion are integrally sealed intosaid structure member, and disposed between a portion where saidstructure member to which said solid-state image pickup element isattached and where said structure member to which saidlight-transmitting member is attached, wherein said fixing member issmaller in coefficient of thermal expansion than the insulating resin.3. The solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein saidcircuit portion has a multilayer wiring structure having a conductorpattern, and a part of said he circuit portion is exposed from a portionof said structure member to which said solid-state image pickup elementis attached, wherein said solid-state image pickup element is disposedin a face-down manner and directly connected to said conductor patternof said circuit portion.
 4. The solid-state imaging apparatus accordingto claim 2, further comprising a signal processing circuit whichprocesses an output signal of said solid-state image pickup element. 5.The solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein saidfixing member is an annular ceramic substrate having an opening in aregion corresponding to said through-opening portion, wherein saidsignal processing circuit is a chip component which is connected to saidcircuit portion.
 6. The solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim5, wherein said signal processing circuit is connected to a first faceof said circuit portion, the first face being on a side where saidlight-transmitting member is attached, and connected to said circuitportion via through-holes formed in said fixing member.
 7. Thesolid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said circuitportion is configured by a multilayer wiring structure member, wherein aconductor pattern is exposed on a side of a face on which saidsolid-state image pickup element is mounted, wherein said solid-stateimage pickup element is directly connected to said conductor pattern. 8.The solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein saidstructure member has a leg portion on which a wiring portion is to beformed, and a cylindrical body portion which is disposed on said legportion, and the through-opening portion is formed between said bodyportion and said leg portion.
 9. The solid-state imaging apparatusaccording to claim 7, wherein the multilayer wiring structure member iselectrically connected to a conductor pattern formed in a part of asurface of said leg portion.
 10. The solid-state imaging apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein said flexible substrate has an extendedportion having a conductor terminal pattern which elongates toward anoutside of said structure member, and the conductor terminal patternconstitutes power source and output terminals for a signal processingcircuit.